Happiness Is
by ProDLnEC aka NLcsimiamifanatic
Summary: The Taylors start a new chapter of life in Brooklyn.
1. Chapter 1

_Got inspired watching the finale of CSI New York. The sequel to __**Hope Leads to Happiness again**__ begins!_

_**Happiness Is...**_

_**A Retreat**_

Brooklyn New York was quieter and calmer than Manhattan. The pace of life was never slow in the city but in comparison everything was slightly slower. There was still what Mac and his wife liked about the city, plenty of culture diversity, an extensive variety of restaurants and entertainment. But here the parks were less crowded and people actually got to know the neighbors. And it was actually possible to have a backyard, however small.

With a tree.

The backyard was not big enough to accommodate a swingset but was big enough for a turtle-shaped sandbox that Jesse knew how to play in, thanks to Lucy Messer. But while Lucy did more creative things, Jesse was perfectly content to put sand in a bucket, dump it out and start again, happy with himself every time. Brooklyn did feel more family-friendly. Being out of a high-rise building was refreshing for Mac. Outside of bases when he was in the marine corp it was the only type living arrangements he ever had. The change in his living arrangements felt good.

"I think we're gonna really like it here," Mac said to his wife, giving her shoulders a squeeze as they watched their young son toddle around the yard, enjoying the new freedom.

"Me, too," Hope smiled. "And you know, there's another advantage."

"What's that?"

"We don't need a riding mower."

Mac laughed leaning in to kiss his wife.

"That we don't."

Jesse pointed to the kitchen window.

"Osside?" He said.

The approximate twelve by twelve fenced-in patch of grass with its single maple tree, aka their backyard had been the little boy's favorite place, no matter what the weather since they arrived here. At almost two years old Jesse was probably amazed that grass was just steps outside his house, his mother thought. Jesse was quite verbal for his eighteen months of age. But he still didn't grasp there was going to be a new baby in the house in a few months.

"In a little bit, bud. We have to go to the store first. We have company for dinner tonight. And some boy is getting a haircut today."

The Messers were coming over. Lindsay and Lindsay at least. Hopefully it would be a lucky day and Danny and Mac would make it home on time. As for Jesse's haircut, they would be headed to the family salon. Even if Jesse held still what her boy would look like if she gave him the "mom chop" wasn't something Hope wanted to see. It never took long for little curls to stick out every which way. Her son and husband had this in common. Mac always made he kept his cut short to avoid the same. Unruly curls weren't so adorable on a grown man.

Hope was now twenty weeks pregnant.

As was Lindsay Messer.

The two women's due dates were a mere five days apart.

Hope had been known her baby was a boy for a few weeks. Right now his name was going to be Austin, middle name to be decided. The Messers had wanted to wait to find out the sex of their unborn child since this baby was going to be their last child. However, they had caved and now knew their baby was a boy as well. Danny would've been happy either way but was definitely excited about having a son. Their son was going to be named Dominic Robert.

Robert was after Lindsay's father. Dominic because it was a name Lindsay liked. Since Danny had named Lucy, she got to name this baby.

The lollipop from the hairdresser kept Jesse content while his mom shopped for the dinner ingredients. The guests were bringing dessert. As she had promised when they got home and everything was put away Hope took Jesse outside and let him play in the sandbox. After she put him down for a nap, it was too early to start preparing the chicken breasts glazed with honey and bread crumbs so she settled in on the sofa with her e-reader to read a chapter of the latest Rita Mae Brown novel she had downloaded.

"Did I hear right? Your wife has honey-glazed chicken and garlic mashed potatoes for dinner?" Danny asked walking into his boss's office.

Mac chuckled.

"And did _your_ wife tell you that the password to get through the doorway in chocolate cake?"

"Got that memo. Will do, that damn clock better co-operate," Danny replied.

"Lucy, _slow down_! We're not going to be late," Lindsay said to the little girl practically pulling her along the sidewalk on the short walk to the Taylors. "Daddy and Mac aren't there yet."

Lindsay dare not mention that daddy was bringing cake. Her arm might be pulled out of its socket.

"But mommy, I want to play with Jesse! I haven't seen him in _two_ days!"

Lindsay laughed.

"There's the house! Number 3-7!"

Lindsay let go of Lucy's hand and and she ran up the steps to the Taylors home. Before she could tell her to knock, the little girl burst through the door.

_I guess everyone is looking forward to the dinner party,_ Lindsay thought shaking her head and following the girl.


	2. Milestones and Summer

_**Milestones and Summertime Changes**_

Lucy Messer was looking forward to the summer day camp program her parents had signed her up for. Many of the kids there would be going to kindergarten with her in September.

Kindergarten.

A milestone in the life of a child that some parents, like Danny and Lindsay were dreading.

It was a sign that their little girl was growing up. But five-years-old wasn't nearly grown and Lucy was going to have plenty of years of keeping her parents busy yet. With the coming addition of baby Dominic there was no risk of Lindsay being lonely or bored on her time off.

Other milestones were being reached in the Taylor home. When they had moved in, Jesse's parents set his toddler bed up instead of his crib. The new baby coming aside it was a safety measure. Just before their Rhode Island trip the boy had started climbing out of his crib. Considering the distance, his parents decided it was safer for him to fall from a toddler than top rail of a crib. The crib wasn't set up in what was to be the baby's room because it wasn't painted yet. Jesse's room was still green and jungle-theme. The new baby's nursery was going to be similar, but a different color green with different trees on the walls because there was going to be woodland creatures on the walls.

The worst part of summer, with the rising heat and influx of tourists came a spike in the crime rate. There were days Mac felt his wife was being punished for marrying him. To make up for the long absences he made it a mission to make as many of Hope's doctor appointments as possible, putting ultrasound visits on the top of that list. His in-laws were coming in a week, in perfect time to be there for Hope's twenty-four week ultrasound. His mother-in-law couldn't stop talking about this with her friends in Rhode Island.

"That might convince you guys to stay," the neighbor told her. "Imagine how wonderful it would be to be close to your grandsons."

Alicia explained living with her daughter and her family wasn't an option. Not just for reasons of space but because she believed the family deserved their privacy.

"The neighborhood they in now in Brooklyn, seems better for children. But I'll see when we get there. But I can tell you now, th city is too congested for us. I could never hang my hat there."

By now the Conways knew the only grandchildren they would be getting were from Hope. So they were going to enjoy them. All their older children decided not to start families, something the couple had predicted years ago. Their sons were careful to a fault getting vasectomies at the earliest ages, neither wanting to be weekend dads or dads at all preferably.

And then there was their oldest daughter, Bella.

She professed she didn't believe in "artificial" birth control of any kind, including condoms. Miraculously, she hadn't contracted any STDs.

Yet.

As a result, she had multiple abortions since the age of twenty. Her parents wanted to keep that hush-hush, even from their other children. Neighbors and friends may have been none the wiser but when their parents thought they were oblivious, Blake, Hunter and Hope were anything but. They knew about every single abortion and that most of the time Bella wasn't sure of the father, or flat-out didn't know. The three agreed that a) no child deserved their sister as a mom and b) Bella would never be selfless enough to go through the pregnancy and then place the child for adoption.

With these two confirmations, they all believed the abortions were the best thing.

Feeling the unborn son kick in his wife's abdomen put a smile on Mac's face after a gruelling sixteen hours of not seeing them.

"That's always amazing," he said kissing Hope passionately.

"I know," she said, kissing him back. "I can't wait to see him on Friday."

"Me, neither."

Nathan wasn't comfortable being in the room for his daughter's ultrasound, she figured it was because her bare belly would be on display. Jesse was at the last ultrasound and wasn't interested. His parents understood that he might be too young to understand the experience. He and poppy would hang out at home and wait to see a printout.

"I still can't believe your mom asked me was I going to try and make the appointment," Mac said. "She should know me by now."

"She should," Hope chuckled.

"I'm glad they're coming. You'll get some help with Jesse in this heat."

Early that morning Hope had received a call from the hospital. She was assured that there was no need for panic. Her ultrasound had been reviewed and her baby was fine. However, the technician who had done the exam at sixteen weeks when they found out the sex was erring much in that arena lately. The doctor wanted to notify Hope she "just might" be having a girl. On Friday they could check again if that was what she wanted.

She and Mac both did.


	3. Happiness is Surprise

_**Surprise!**_

_Note: The description of Kim Kardashian is solely my opinion. Don't get me started on her and her family._

The couple decided to let the technician take a "second look" since the other ultrasound was so early.

Hope was scared about the prospect of having a girl.

What if she couldn't identify with her daughter as she grew from a baby? What was she going to do when her daughter wanted to play dress-up or with Barbie dolls.

Or do something like _ballet_?

Even the sound of that word made Hope shutter.

Hope was a total tomboy till she was eleven.

She played sports and got dirty. She loathed everything girly. She liked wearing her brothers' hand-me-downs. She seldom wore anything that wasn't gender-neutral. The most feminine color she wore was purple. Her favorite since she could talk. Mac told his wife contrary to whatever she had been told having done these "girly" things in childhood were not needed to bond with a daughter. Alicia backed him up.

"Good god, honey!" She told Hope. "Whatever made you think those frivolous things were vital to a daughter's life? You know I was opposite of you and we got along just fine, didn't we?"

Her mother was right. She was worrying over nothing.

Alicia nagged her husband Nathan so much about not wanting to be there for a ultrasound that Hope had to tell her to be quiet. Sure Hope wasn't going to be anywhere near naked but if her father wasn't comfortable being there so be it.

They needed a babysitter, anyway.

* * *

Mac met the two at the clinic. Both he and Hope laughed at how antsy Alicia was.

When they were called in her excitement made the nurse laugh.

But Alicia's happy tears flowed when she heard the baby's heartbeat.

After the general view of the baby it was for the big moment.

The technician zeroed in to specific area on the screen.

"So mom, dad? You guys have seen an accurate "boy" image at this stage, right?"

"Yes," both replied smiling, half laughing.

"Did it look like this?" he said, turning the monitor.

Hope and Mac looked at each other.

"No," they said.

"Congratulations. It's a girl," came the reply.

All Mac ever wanted was a family.

To have a daughter joining their son was an incredible feeling for Mac. Hope knew from the way he kissed her.

And the fact he cried the same way he had with Jesse.

"Well, you missed seeing we're going to have a grand_daughter_!" Alicia said, playfully smacking her husband in the back of the head. "I have a still picture for you but you missed something _amazing._"

They were back at home and Mac had gone out to bring back lunch for the group. Stella had offered to fill in for him the remainder of the day. The family talked and laughed about how "it was back to the drawing board" for a name for the baby. Luckily they hadn't started shopping for baby clothes and the nursery was already going to be neutral. There was no way Hope was to change the color, even to her favorite color purple. Pink was only cute in clothes for the first year or so. After that Hope would pick any other color of wardrobe for the baby. But not go as far as the ever-vain and famous-without-talent Kim Kardashian who only dressed her daughter in black, creme and white. Minimal pink design on clothes would be fine, Hope didn't hate it _that_ much. There was plenty of time to pick names. Mom and dad had a few in mind but nothing they were sure of . Olivia, Avery and Katelyn were on the list.

"I'm already having visions of stacks of pink clothing at the baby shower. Good thing it'll be 0-18 months, or I doubt I'll be able to hide my disgust," Hope told Mac.

The couple relaxed together in the living room. Her mother and father was watching TV in the guestroom.

Mac laughed. He knew his wife was happy about the news they were having a daughter. Her aversion was to the color and frills that most people associated with it. Hence the fact she was adamant that she wouldn't be getting their daughter any pink clothes after age two unless it was a gift or she—meaning their daughter—picked it out herself.

"I assume you told Stella no pink invitations and associated decor?" Mac chuckled.

"No. Make sure she gets that memo, please," Hope smiled.


	4. Happiness isToo Many

_**Too Many Y's, not enough X's and Another Surprise**_

Mac was wonderful with all kids, not just boys. His wife hadn't got the chance to see him with his goddaughter when she was an infant but judging by the two's bond now, she imagined it wuld have been an adorable sight. Lucy was another person who was glad Hope was having a baby girl, not a boy because she was going to have a brother

"Then there's Jesse and then Trey," she said, making the points on her fingers. "Jasmine and me are the only girls. We need more."

Hope couldn't find a hole in that argument.

"We're going to name our baby Dominic Robert," Lucy told Hope. "Robert is mommy's daddy's name. What are you calling your baby?"

Hope smiled and said she wasn't sure yet. She asked Lucy if she had any suggestions.

"I like the name 'Elsa.' She's the princess in _Frozen_. She has 'pecial powers," Lucy replied.

"I know," Hope said.

She and Mac had seen the movie dozens of time since it was released on DVD. Lucy had dragged her parents to the theatre three times to see it. When they wouldn't go a fourth time, she called and asked Adam to go. Adam liked the movie. At work the following day, Adam asked Danny why he hadn't enjoyed it.

"I saw it three times in two weeks. It took another week before I didn't dream of dancing cartoon characters!" Danny said.

_Knowing you, you were analyzing the graphics, _he had thought.

"Isn't watching a kids' favorite movie of the moment repeatedly, a part of parenthood? I heard children like that," Adam stated.

"They do—parents don't have to."

This duty was a part of parenthood Hope had down-pat long before she had a child. Part of her was still like that herself with certain movies, Disney ones included. One of her very favorites was _The Lion King._

* * *

Hunter Conway had decided to brave the changing seasons of the eastern United States and move across the country and start over in the big apple. The building that was his successful barbeque restaurant wasn't his own and the owner had sold the place out from under him. But taking in all factors of his life, he decided New York City might be the place for him. Eight years ago, though apparently everyone in his family already knew it and weren't bothered by it, Hunter revealed to his friends and family he was gay. He had known this when he had a vasectomy in his twenties. Any sex he had, with a woman or man was _never_ unprotected.

Diseases were far, far more of a threat but he had wanted to get a woman pregnant, either. The vasectomy had been a double precaution when he still dated women. Even without that worry, or especially now he always used condoms. Like his younger sister, Hunter wasn't a random sex or one-night type of person. With his hectic schedule as a chef and business owner, his love life was non-existant. Hunter had his fingers crossed that he could find a balance with work and met someone to share his life with in New York.

Perhaps even a _husband._

An official and legal husband, something that wasn't allowed for him in Arizona.

Being closer to his sister Hope and her family was a big bonus too. He planned to get know his adorable nephew, Jesse, better. And living in the same city Hunter could meet the baby his sister was carrying as soon as she was born. Both the apartment he had rented and restaurant space he had purchased was in the Manhattan neighborhood where Mac and Hope used to live. He had the only barbeque place on that block.

That could be good for business.

The place had been re-decorated but there a few permits which had been approved and were in the mail before he could open. Until then he had enough to live on comfortably. He would be busy settling into his new apartment anyway.

She didn't feel "alone" in any way shape or form but Hope was "super" glad that one of her big brothers was moving to the city. Knowing that her children were going to get to see one of their uncles regularly meant more to her than she realized. Hope teased her brother that when the new baby came he could come over any time he wanted, if he didn't mind being her personal chef.

"You got it, sis," Hunter laughed.


	5. Family Dinner and Other 'Desserts'

_**Family Dinner and Other Kinds of Dessert **_

_Rated M for language and graphic scene descriptions._

Being gay didn't mean a person was a pedophile. Every cop and any person with a few functioning brain cells and who wasn't homophobic asshole knew that. Neither Messer or Flack families had issues with their children being around Hunter Conway. Hunter reminded them all of Hope, both in looks and personality. He was three years older than his younger sister. There was not even a year between him and older brother Blake, just 363 days .The oldest in the family Bella was four years older than him. Lucy Messer was drawn to Hunter when he dropped by while Hope was watching her for Lindsay to attend a dental appointment.

"Are you bigger or smaller than Hope?" Lucy asked him. She was sitting on the couch facing him with her legs crossed and her bare feet tucked up under her.

Lucy had already asked him what he did for a living, where he lived in the city and the most probing question, was he ever gong to be a father before explaining to Hunter in case he "didn't know," he can still be a dad. He could "'dopt."

"I knows that you likes to cuddle with boys and not girls. Some people says that's wrong. But daddy and mommy say those people are dumb," Lucy stated in a matter-of-fact tone

Hunter smiled, knowing Lucy meant "men" and not "boys." Her parents had taught her well about acceptance of people were labeled "different."

It had taken Jesse Taylor all of fifteen minutes, maybe less to become comfortable with the uncle who he was too young to ever remember meeting. Jesse was presently on Hunter's lap playing with a toy cellphone. His sister looked tired when he arrived, he suggested she take a nap. When Lucy Messer was picked up, Hunter took the steaks she had on the counter and make a homemade version of Hope's favorite frozen meal, pepper streak over rice. He was also going to make a small portion of plain steak and rice for Jesse. No toddler he knew liked peppers and onions. Hunter wasn't sure if he could leave Jesse unattended for more than a few minutes and since the boy had started climbing out of his playpen, putting him there wasn't a safe option. And Hunter knew so he strapped the boy into his high chair with some of his toy cars and sippy cup. He talked to the boy as he worked, explaining in silly voices the difference between mincing and dicing, sauteing and frying. Jesse laughed, reveling in the attention. A half hour nap did the trick for Hope's tiredness. Dinner wasn't quite ready by the time she came downstairs. She heard her son practicing his new words "autee" and "incing."

"I'm all for you teaching him those skills but don't you think that he should know to use a fork and knife, first?" Hope teased her brother.

Hunter laughed.

"You wouldn't remember but I learned this first," he said. " Mac called. He said he'd be home in an hour. I told him dinner would done and I'll have flown the coup by then. He invited me to stay since I cooked and all but I gonna go."

Mac was home before Hunter left. It was first time that Hope's brother had seen just how excited Jesse became when he sw his father. Hunter didn't know a toddler could run so fast. He practically sprinted out of the kitchen and through the living room to meet Mac in the porch. Mac smiled as the boy grabbed him by the face and gave him a drooling kiss on the mouth. Mac kissed the little boy back and tickled him.

Hunter smiled watching father and son interact.

"That happens every day," she said, reading her brother's mind.

* * *

Mac was especially relieved that today were over. A gang member had been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The second was an unattended victim. The second shot from a military grade weapon, a mac-10 had gone through the floor of the apartment and the roof of the apartment below.

And into the top of the head of the occupant in the apartment below.

This was only discovered when a uniformed officer went to knock on the door and it cracked open. With the door was only open slightly, the officer had noticed the body of the neighbor. Before he was able to notify the other officer in the hall and the crime scene investigators upstairs, he threw up in the trash can in the hall. The dead man's skull was like a crushed pumpkin, blood and brain matter was mixed with pieces of bone. The gang members were known to be better out-fitted than the cops so SWAT entered, arrested the suspect and cleared the area of the member's apartment before Mac and the team went in, armed and wearing kevlar vests as a precaution, to look for weapons, drugs and anything that could be found.

Seeing the body of the second victim was grotesque, even to Mac but having similar things on his tours of duty with the corp, he was able to hold down his stomach contents. However the uniformed officer who had discovered the body of Grant Quaid had an Art degree before he had joined the academy wasn't quite the same. One didn't need a military background to survive the job for those who did, it sometimes helped. Officer Brad Remy was only six weeks out from his on-the-job training. Don told Mac that it was first time that the officer had seen a gruesome scene like this.

"And I think he might have to take a few days off," he told Mac.

Paramedics were now looking after officer Remy in the ambulance. He was shaking so violently. Don worried he might start seizing. Personally he thought even after a few days off, Brad Remy was not coming back to the job. After years on the force Don could read which rookies were cut out for the job and who weren't. The true test was always _after_ on-the-job training when you were on your own with no one next to you to ask "what do I do?" Mac didn't need to see Brad Remy right now to know he wasn't returning. Mac had a similar ability to read new officers. It was nothing glaringly obvious and Mac hated to make judgements, even silent ones but the first look he had at Brad Remy he knew the young man wasn't going to last long. The number of officers who figured out they were not cut out for this job only _after_ going through the academy wasn't that known but the team and Mac had seen their share.

"You especially have that 'home sweet home' look at your face, tonight," Hope said as her husband walked into their bedroom.

Despite his exhaustion and the stress of the day's events.

"You're such a flirt, you know that?" He said.

"Isn't that one of the reasons why you married me?" His wife countered with a wicked grin.

"Something tells me, you and I are in for quite a night, my lady," Mac murmured, lifting his wife into his arms and laying her on the bed.

"Hmm. I just hope you locked the door behind you."

Mac wanted, _needed _his wife tonight, to help him forget the day. The second time around his wife's pregnant body made his blood run hot. It was a good thing their son was solid sleeper who only woke up during the night on a rare basis. And after a day playing outdoors he wasn't likely to wake tonight. From the noise they made, his parents were surprised and happy that they hadn't awakened him. They could enjoy each other and revel in the afterglow of their passion.

"Are you sure you wouldn't have rather slept last night?" Hope asked Mac as the bedside alarm read 2:45am.

Mac just laughed.


	6. Happiness is Smoothies, etc, EDITED

_**Bubble Baths, Smoothies and more Interruptions **_

Mac wondered what his unborn daughter Lorelei Aubrey would look like.

_Would she have the same eyes as her mom? Those blue eyes were what Mac had first noticed about the woman he married before he even knew her name. Or would she look like her brother Jesse who Mac couldn't deny, favored him._

To his eyes, on the 4-D Lorelei already looked perfect. He hated that it would be another two and half months before he, Hope, Jesse and the rest of the world would meet her. It was at this point in his wife's previous pregnancy too, that Mac started to agree with his wife that pregnancy should be shorter. Even if they didn't have the same list of reasons. On top of his wife's list was how active the unborn girl was, especially at night. The form of Lorelei's movements could be seen clearly when the two lay in bed at night. Lorelei seemed to kick any time Mac spoke to her or touched her mom's belly. Hope told her husband that their daughter already knew him, she didn't move like that for just anybody. She seemed to calm some when her mother did her own favorite relaxation activity.

A warm bubble bath.

As she relaxed in the tub this evening Hope heard Jesse's happy chatter in the kitchen. Mac was making him his favorite snack.

A "ummy" strawberry smoothie, or a "mooie" as Jesse said. The little boy was curled up on Mac's lap on the couch, drinking his "mooie" from his sippy cup when his mom exited the bathroom and entered the living room. The children's book _I Love You Through and Through_ was next to them. It was their son's favorite. The couple could read this book in their sleep. Mac told his wife that he offered to read Jesse the story moments ago but he had wanted his mom and "sissy" to hear it as well.

She chuckled.

Excluding the occasional bedtime struggle, there was barely a moment that Jesse wasn't happy and loving. Ready to shower his mom and dad, as well as his mom's expanding belly where he was told his "sissy" was growing, with kisses. If everyone was as happy as he was all the time the world would be a better place.

Mac's phone rang rudely at 3:03am,

Mac grumbled before answering it, making sure he kept a secure arm around the little boy who was asleep on his chest and snoring softly. When was he was leaving his house he saw Danny drive around the block heading in the same direction he was going. If Danny called in after shift then something was more wrong than the team was used to dealing with. Don, Sheldon and Sid were already there. The two got to the same scene to find three people dead. A couple in their sixties who owned the apartment and their twenty-year-old son who could pass for a twelve-year-old. The other man was shot in the back of the head, he was laying in the hall of home his wife appeared to make it further down the hall, into the doorway of their son's bedroom. A bullet had gone through the back of her neck, likely severing the woman's head from her body according to Sid. Her death was instantaneous like her husband's. Their son was shot through the left side of his head as he was asleep on his left. The murder of his parents, identified as Ben and Katrina Joseph had to be noisy. But it appeared that Anthony hadn't awakened before he was shot. There weren't any signs he got up from the bed or tried to fight his attacker.

There was no forced entry and the neighbors hadn't heard anything. According to others in the building, the couple was very friendly but mostly kept to themselves. Their lives revolved around caring for Anthony who could walk but had the mental and verbal capacity of an eighteen-month-old and was prone to violent seizures. The young man wore diapers and he had to be given medication to sleep through the night. The medication, Sid said was a strong one when Danny found it in the bathroom medicine cabinet, was probably why Anthony hadn't woken up during his parents' murder. Shock went through the place when after calling for another crime scene unit, Don called Mac to alert him that there was a dead body at the dorm where Josephs' other son, nineteen-year-old Henry was living. Don and Sheldon had gone there to tell him of the deaths of his family.

The body was that Henry Joseph.

Henry Joseph had been dead longer than his family. Sheldon estimated he was dead over twelve hours, whereas the bodies of his family were still warm. Emergency had been called there when the life alert bracelet the older man wore was triggered, likely by his fall. The same happening seconds later with his wife. Their emergency contact, a neighbor on floor below who had a key had called police and paramedics. This man said the same about the family as their closer neighbors did but added the Josephs had another son named Henry who was in college. The couple didn't mention him nearly at all and he was never seen around the apartment. This was likely why other neighbors did not know of him. The downstairs neighbor who identified himself as Max Gibson had been the first one to tell police about Henry. He explained the relationship between Henry and his family was non-excitant. Henry was embarrassed of his brother and lied to new people he met, saying he was an only child. According to Max, when the Josephs wanted to visit Henry at his dorm during Christmas the young man told them "not to dare" because they would be bringing along his brother. Katrina had cried when she told Max they hadn't gone there and despite her pleading, Henry hadn't visited them during the holidays.

This had caused Don to consider him a suspect.

Before he was found dead.

Henry Joseph had died from two shots in the back, puncturing his heart and lung. Like his parents, he appeared to fleeing his assailant.

Henry didn't have a roommate.

The administration had let the detective and CSI into the room when they informed the office no one was answering the door and a student working in the office who had classes with Henry mentioned she hadn't seen him today or yesterday. There weren't any photos to show Henry's family and nothing was out of place except for a chair that had been knocked over.

"I was thinking this was a case of family annihilation but I guess I was wrong."

The two men agreed that if these cases weren't connected it was going to stun everyone.

That would come hours later when after Sid removed the bullets from all four victims and Lindsay's analysis came back that Ben, Katrina and Anthony Joseph were killed with the same 9mm and Henry was killed with .22mm.

The fact that the team could now looking at two completely separate murders in the same family was daunting. Sure, three out of the four victims were shot from behind but this coincidence could be just that. The manner of the wounds was fairly common, it didn't mean the crimes were connected. His autopsy found another possible angle to Henry's murder. Henry had meth in his system when he died. The autopsies of his family weren't revealing any secrets. Other than their prescribed medications at the standard doses, toxicology tests came up clean.

His boss was stifling a yawn and rubbing his eyes when Danny knocked lightly on his office door.

"Oh hey, Danny." Mac said, "you got something?"

"Afraid not," he said, sitting on the sofa. "Absolutely nothing—I mean—zip, zilch, nada, on the Joseph Family. Not even a parking ticket. All their son's care was either covered by insurance or by a charitable agency called _Helping Hands_. Their son went to respite care five afternoons a week at their care center. A few nights away a week for Anthony was offered to the couple but they didn't want him gone at night. Ever person we talked to who they met through care for their son said they were a close, happy couple who coped well with their son's disability. Their insurance was to go to the surviving spouse and to their son's long-term care." Danny had asked staff at _Helping Hands_ more about Anthony and his condition. Thinking that might bring a lead but to no avail. He may have been twenty-one years of age but Anthony, or Tony as he was called had stopped growing and physicallydeveloping at twelve. Cognitively and developmentally he was a toddler. He had never begun puberty. Medical test after test had been done in several hospitals in two states. Every test had came back normal. His parents had decided to stop this testing after a year with no answers. Doctors had told them results wouldn't change anything about Anthony's life.

"So, outside of their now deceased older son, who couldn't have possibly killed them, the Josephs don't have any enemies. What did they do for a living?"

"Benjamin Joseph was a janitor at Trinity General. Katrina was a housewife. Stella talked to the staff there who knew him, All the same answers; they didn't have any enemies and everyone loved him."

"So we're at stand-still on both Joseph cases."

"Looks like it."

With nothing else to talk about regarding the case, Danny asked how Hope Taylor was doing and if Jesse was getting excited about the baby. Mac laughed. He told Danny that his son was trying to say the name Lorelei, the name they had picked out for baby girl but so far it was pronounced "La-La."

Since Jesse Taylor was just shy of twenty months old Danny thought that was a pretty good try.

"Lindsay's all right?" Mac asked.

"Yeah. If he'd would be okay, she would have the little man, now," Danny replied.

"Oh that sounds so familiar," Mac laughed.


	7. An Sympathetic Victim

_**WARNING: **__mentions of neo-Nazi views!_

_**The Unsympathetic Victim**_

From _every single_ person the team interviewed told the same story.

Henry Joseph was nothing but a bully. He humiliated and tormented anyone he met on campus who was the slightly bit different. One counselor Mac spoke to said he had counseled at least two with disabilities who transferred to other schools she made their daily lives so intolerable. Another student who had paralysis on the left side of his body and speech difficulty resulting from a stroke dropped out after a failed suicide attempt. He kept trying to _not_ think this way but Mac was starting to ask _why_ they looking for justice for a person like this.

_You can't pick the victim,_ he had to tell his CSIs this on occasion. Today he kept telling himself.

Danny spoke to a girl named Francine Myer who had all of one date with Henry. From the get-go, he told her how he felt about "defective sub-humans." He told her the truth about his family, how he wished his mother had had an abortion with his older brother, or put him in an institution when "it"'s disabilities were discovered. If his parents had done that, he would still have a relationship with his parents instead of moving straight to the college dorms the moment he graduated high school.

"There should more institutions for these so-called 'people,'" Francine stated he had told her. "This society is too stupid to euthanize them." Henry briefly mentioned he had "zero" problem with Jews or other races, "Hitler had that one wrong. But getting rid of _these_ was the best idea anyone ever had."

These statements made Danny's stomach turn.

Francine was smart to dump this freak and tell him not to contact her again.

There was something about the other school therapist, Penny Brown that made Mac believe she could be the killer. She freely admitted she owned a .22 but it had gone missing from her townhouse six months when she was on vacation across the border in Canada.

"And no, detective, I didn't report it. I thought you people would have more pressing cases to be looking at," she told Mac. It was against the advice of a lawyer she had consulted but Penny allowed to search her home and property.

Both Danny and Flack noticed half of the small garden was dug up. Penny said she was working on setting up a winter garden. Not five minutes into digging in the so-called winter garden, a .22 caliber was unearthed, the one that registered to Penny Brown. She was handcuffed, read her rights and taken to the station for more questioning. The gun was sent to the lab for testing.

For forty-five minutes Penny held to her story. The gun was lost long before the murder. Maybe it was buried in her yard the whole time but she didn't know. Then the ballistics report to was delivered to the interrogation room. The gun was a perfect match to the one that killed Henry Joseph. Stella asked her if that was the story she wanted to stick with.

With that, Penny said wanted her lawyer.

"You can put _this_ on the record, however," she said she was stood up, about to be led away. "Henry Joseph was a horrible person. The world is better off without him."

Penny may have murdered Henry Joseph but she didn't murder the parents and brother Henry had long tormented. She was in Dallas Texas that night giving a lecture in front of a room full of under-grads. A lecture on tolerance; how to deal with people like Henry Joseph in the workplace and in the student environment. There was no way she could have finished her lecture, returned to New York, committed the murder, buried her gun and flown back to Dallas to be in the dining room for the free breakfast. Outside of the hotel staff, too many hotel guests with no reason to lie saw her. Besides, Penny saw them as victims of Henry, especially his brother.

The motive for the murders Benjamin, Katrina and Anthony "Tony" was still elusive. Anthony was in many aspects a toddler in a twelve-year-old's body with a man's birth certificate. His small world consisted of his parents, home and likely doctors' appointments, the trips his mom or dad took him to the park and to the neighborhood deli and the people at the _Helping Hands _center. It looked as if he was collateral damage in the crime.

One or both of parents had to be the target.

_But why?_ Mac thought with frustration.

If the late Henry had _thought _he had something to gain by arranging the murders he had been wrong.

Even if he wasn't dead.

It was cab pulled up to his home and Mac pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head hard. He had reached his destination and the front of home was where he promised he would leave his work day behind. He didn't mind doing so. It felt like a weight off his shoulders and his family deserved a dad and husband walk through the door, not a detective.


	8. Happiness is Distractions

_**Distractions**_

His daughter's pending arrival was a distraction from the stresses of the job for Mac. Three weeks had gone by since the triple murder. Whenever he had the chance he ran the single unidentified fingerprint found on the inside doorknob of the elder Josephs' apartment. But there was still no hits. There were still no leads to a killer and no motive of any kind to be found. And as life went in the world of crime the case went to the back burner as others came in. Jesse was now speaking in two or three word sentences, adding words to his vocabulary faster than his parents could keep track of. His favorite new toy was a blue plush t-rex he had charmed dad into getting him days ago. _Godzilla_ wasn't in his DVD collection Jesse was already "crushing" his toy cars with the plush animal.

And he had learned to climb.

Then there was Baby Lorelei constantly kicked up a storm her mother's womb. Mac felt guilty about the amount of sleep his beloved _wasn't_ getting, between their unborn child and their ever-activetoddler. Sometimes Jesse would nap, other times he won't. Being as strong-willed as he was, "like his mother," Mac would tease his wife, it wasn't worth the battle. The fight would likely last till bedtime.

The upmost romantic thing he could do for Hope now was take care of Jesse and let her lay down early so she might get a bit more sleep when exhaustion completely overtook her. Half the time Hope fell fast asleep in her street clothes when she lay down for just a moment to rest her eyes before changing her clothes. But she would find herself in her pyjamas hours later. Mac was able to undress and redress her, then place her comfortably underneath the covers without waking her.

In Rhode Island Alicia Conway was counting the days till she and her husband made a two-week visit to the Big Apple.

Two more days.

During that time there was going to be a baby shower for their pregnant daughter. The grandparents were looking forward to the quality time as well as giving their daughter Hope so time off her feet. And as much they disliked the city they both knew there was no cooping Jesse up in the house all day. They knew about the park and the farmer's market that Hope took her baby to a few times a week. When Alicia sounded surprised to hear of the latter Mac has teased her saying "just because we live in a big city doesn't mean we don't have outdoor markets with fresh produce." There was goodies at the market like cake lollipops or homemade brownies, cookies and strawberry lemonade that both Jesse and mom enjoyed while she shopped

There was a market that sold all kinds of fresh seafood, too.

Something Mac's in-laws liked but his wife couldn't even stomach as a child. They wouldn't be bring any of that back to the house. Besides Hope's baby shower, their son Hunter's restaurant was now open and business was booming. Despite the rush of customers Hunter wanted his family to dine there together at least once before his parents went home.

Riding in a checkered cab in the middle of the line of them that seemed to go on forever, Nathan Conway wondered aloud how two of his children traded their former homes "for _this_." Hunter were still getting accustomed to the traffic but told his worried parents it wasn't as intolerable as they were making it seem. By now his little sister was immune to it.

It was just life to her now.

Their grandson's shrieks of delight and their daughter's smile were worth the long trip. The family communicated a few nights a week so Jesse recognized his grandparents immediately. Hope hadn't told her son about his "nana" and "papa" coming. He would be asking about them _all_ day and there was the possibility of their flight being delayed. Combined that with them getting their luggage and through traffic, she would have been driven insane from him asking where they were.

Ironically Mac was in a taxi three cars ahead of them. He was standing on the steps on his home as they pulled up. Mac chuckled to himself, once Jesse saw his grandparents he would be ignoring his dad.

Jesse heard "nana and papa are here" and was standing in the porch waiting for them. Mac was first through the door having helped his mother-in-law with her luggage. Instead of Jesse running to him as usual, he gave daddy what could only be described as a puzzled look.

"They're here, big guy," daddy said with a smile.

With his son and in-laws in an excited loud heap Mac and his wife got the chance for an extended smooch.

"Hmm..I hope we get the chance for more of these during these two weeks," Hope murmured against her husband's mouth.

Mac chuckled lightly and licked his bottom lip.

"Yeah. But I _think_ that's how we got _here_," he said, caressing Hope's round belly.

Who was looking forward to his wife's "no pink" baby shower Mac couldn't tell.

Alicia was disappointed with the lack of pink and "frilly things" set out for decorations at the shower that Stella and Lindsay threw for the mother-to-be. Attendees knew of the pink rule as it was politely stated on the invitations, _"we're going outside the box. Plz, easy on the pink!"_

Okay, everybody including the expectant mother knew there was going to be _some _pink gifts even with the invitation notation. That came with the territory, but there didn't have to be piles of it.


End file.
